In other stories, a charitable donation from Jysk will aid the homeless, Brexit continues to vex, Lidl to expand, and an air route from Denmark to Scotland has been given a reprieve

All sails are being set for the next generation of communications technology (graphic: Christoph Scholz/flickr)

February 19th, 2019 2:35 pm| by Stephen Gadd

Whether Huawei is a partner in the new plans to develop Denmark’s next-generation 5G communications network or not, more money is needed according to the confederation of Danish industry, Dansk Industri (DI).

The organisation argues that the Danish state will earn a significant amount of money from auctioning the contracts for 5G and that money should be used to advance the use of the system across the country and put Denmark on the next level when it comes to digital communications.

Robots and drones
When in place latest by 2020, the system will be able to underpin the ‘Internet of Things’ as well as telecommunications, so it can be used for things like steering robots and drones, driverless cars or remotely-operated ambulances. The 5G network will be up to 100 times faster than the present 4G network.

DI also emphasises the importance of companies and the public sector fully embracing the new technology, and the organisation has formulated an action plan to assist companies in this regard.

Warm sleeping bags for the homeless
Danish charity DanChurchSocial (Kirkens Korshær) has just received a donation of 1,000 new sleeping bags from bedding and furniture company Jysk. The charity runs 21 hostels for homeless people in 15 different towns across Denmark. As well as the sleeping bags, Jysk has given towels and sleeping mats. This is the third year in a row that Jysk has helped out and the donation is very welcome. “The homeless desperately need sleeping bags in order to sleep outdoors. In the rain and sleet of winter they are absolutely vital to keep warm,” said Hanne Okwera, the social head of the centre on Drejervej.

Brexit blues for the construction industry
Another branch of Danish exports expects to be hit by the Brexit fallout: the building trade. At present, Danish companies export more building materials to the UK than any other country but the tariffs that would come into play after Brexit pose a threat, reports DI Business. In 2017, exports reached 6 billion kroner. As well as tariffs, Danish companies are also concerned about possible new standards that the UK may impose that differ from the ones currently in force throughout the EU.

Lidl plans major Danish expansion program
The German discount supermarket chain Lidl has plans to open 103 new shops in Denmark over the next few years. The expansion would be at the rate of around 10-15 shops per year and in 2019 alone, one billion kroner has been set aside for investment. Lidl has over 10,000 shops in 30 countries and although they only arrived in Denmark in 2005, there are 117 of them here. The chain has 20 branches in Copenhagen but thinks that there is room for 60-80. That would bring them in sharp competition with Netto, that at present has 100 branches in the capital.

Esbjerg-Aberdeen route reprieved
The route flown by the bankrupt British airline Flybmi connecting Esbjerg and Aberdeen has now been taken over by Danish Air Transport (DAT). The British company’s flights have been an important link for the oil industry for almost 28 years. The head of Esbjerg Lufthavn, John Nielsen, stated that DAT would be taking over the route as soon as possible.